


For The Love of an Elf: The Two Towers

by definetlynotahunter



Series: For the Love of an Elf [2]
Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: Dragons, F/M, Orcs, Other, i wrote this like 2 years ago, it is what it is, just check the first one pls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 07:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3887890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/definetlynotahunter/pseuds/definetlynotahunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Nikki gets sick on the quest, she discovers her heritage holds more secrets than she imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For The Love of an Elf: The Two Towers

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry for taking so long to do this, but I just can't write this series anymore. This is what I have written for the second installment, and this is more than likely it. If I do ever write any more, which I probably won't, it likely won't be for a long time. Un-beta'd, all mistakes are mine.

Running. Endless running. We ran from well before dawn to well after dusk every day, sleeping for very few hours a night. At first, this didn't bother me.  
“Nikki, are you alright? You look a bit pale?” My beautiful husband looked at me while still running, concerned for my well-being.   
“I'm fine, Legolas.” I smile at him, even as I become more light-headed and the pain in my stomach intensifies. I know I'm not on my period, as I never had one. The doctors said it was a genetic mutation, I could still have children just fine, and I should be happy, as periods are messy and very painful. I gasped in pain and my vision blurred as I stumble to a very clumsy stop.  
“Stop! Something's wrong!” I hear Legolas call to Aragorn and Gimli, who are about a hundred feet behind us.  
I wave my hand at him. “No, I'm fine, just need to-” I cough and try gasp for air. “Just gotta catch my breath.”  
Aragorn walks up to me and puts his hand on my forehead. “Holy hell, you're hot as brimstone!” He dumps his pack on the ground. “We're camping here tonight.”  
“No, we need to find the Hobbits.” Even as I say this, I flop down onto the ground and start taking deep breaths, trying to chase away the dizziness. I can't get enough oxygen.  
Aragorn begins pulling herbs from his pack. “You're no use to them dead.” He sorts through them and hands me a small capsule with leaves inside. “This should help with the fever.”  
Legolas comes over and hands me my waterskin. I must've dropped my backpack at some point. I can't really remember. I take the pill and drink down as much water as I can, as there's a stream nearby, so I can refill it as often as necessary. I dump the remaining over my face.   
“I'm going to collect some wood for a fire.” Gimli walks off into the little bit of brush and begins to look for wood.  
Legolas sits by me and takes my head in his lap. “Explain to me exactly what's wrong.”  
“I can't get enough air, my head is spinning, my stomach hurts, and my entire body feels like it's on fire.” At this, I take off my cloak and boots, trying to cool off.   
“Do you wanna go wash off and cool down a bit in the stream?”   
“That would be wonderful.”   
Legolas stands up and picks me up in his arms, ignoring my protests that I can walk myself. When we reach the stream, he sets me on the ground and helps me strip, leaving only my necklaces and rings on. He then removes his own clothing as I twist my hair up into a bun, and picks me up again, walking until the water was about up to his chest. He gently sets me into the water, his arm around my waist to support me.   
“Reminds me of our wedding night. I was too weak to stand and you helped me. Ever the gentleman.” I smiled at him and leaned up to kiss his softly.   
He kisses me back, then pulls back and begins to wash my skin. He does it methodically, though I can detect him hesitating ever so slightly as he washes my more delicate areas. He finishes too soon, and pulls me close to his chest, burying his face in my tangle of hair, as he so loves to do.   
“Feel a little better?”   
“I dunno. Even though the water is cold, I still feel-” All of a sudden pain, greater than I've ever felt, rips through my entire body. I convulse in my lover's arms and it hurts too much to scream. The blackness of unconsciousness envelops me.

3rd Person POV

As she collapses in his arms, he grabs her and swings her fully into his arms, careful to keep her head above water.”Nikki! Nikki, wake up!”He jumps out of the water and runs to the camp, not caring about his nudity. “Aragorn! Aragorn, do something!”He lays her down gently, managing to wrap her in a towel.   
She begins to seize, her body spasming violently, her eyes rolling back in her head. He leans down and tries to pin her down as Aragorn runs in from who knows where.   
“Legolas, don't hold her down, she'll hurt herself. Hold her head and just let her ride it out. I know it's scary but she'll be okay.” He hoped he was telling the truth. He watched his friend try not to sob as he held his wife's head in his lap as she seized.  
After a minute, the spasms stopped and her eyes fluttered shut. Her breathing was still labored, but she had stopped seizing.  
“What's wrong with her?” Legolas looked up in desperation.   
Aragorn looks down at his lap. “I don't know, my friend. I don't know.”  
With that, Legolas dressed her and laid her on her sleep roll, put his next to her, and tried to sleep.

Nikki's POV

I woke up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. I looked around and realized that all my companions were asleep. God, it hurt all over. Suddenly, as if possessed, I stood up and walked about 30 feet away into the night and stared at the sky, ignoring the growing pain and heat that seemed to be coming from inside of me.  
Suddenly, I sensed Legolas wake up in the camp. “Nikki, what are you doing? You're sick, you need your rest.” When I didn't answer, I felt him shake awake Aragorn and Gimli. “Aragorn, what the hell is going on? I thought she just had the flu!”  
Suddenly, I felt my cross necklace heat up, and I felt my entire body burst into flame.  
“Nikki!” I heard Legolas scream, and he ran up and tried to reach me. About 10 feet away, he hit an invisible barrier that I did not put there.   
It was a strange sensation, being on fire. I did not seem to burn, though I felt the pain. My skin was still smooth and unblemished under the flames. As I was observing this, I felt an inhuman roar leave my throat as my body exploded into something amazing.  
I looked around wildly. Everything was tiny. I could see my three companions that seemed smaller than Hobbit-sized suddenly. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a sort of growl.   
I reached my mind out to my three companions, not caring that Aragorn and Gimli had never felt me do this before. As I reached into their minds, I saw me as they did.   
I was a dragon. I was bright, ruby red, and my scales glittered. I had a long neck, and amazingly, my cross necklace had grown with me to fit around my neck, an almost slender, muscular body, lean legs with wicked claws on my feet, and spikes going from the crown of my head to my long tail. But then I saw my wings. They were large and pale red, skin stretching between the elegant bones. I was beautiful. But I was still a dragon.  
What's happening? How do I turn back? I thought to my friends, terrified I'd be like this forever.   
“Calm down love, it'll be okay.” I saw Legolas move forward, feeling for the barrier he had encountered earlier, and when he found none, he walked up to me and laid a hand on my snout.  
IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE I AM A MOTHER FUCKING DRAGON. I was panicking. I didn't know what to do. Gimli was still just standing there in horror, and Aragorn in fascination.  
Legolas began to stroke my snout, trying to soothe me, I suppose. “Try calming down first. Maybe if you calm down and will yourself to change back, it'll work.  
I sighed mentally. There's one thing I want to do first. Hop on my back. Just trust me. Legolas climbed on my back and settled himself between two spikes. I stretched my wings out, testing the air. Hold on! And with that I leapt off into the sky.   
I was a bit clumsy at first, but I soon got the hang of it. I learned to feel for air currents and use them to fly the way I wanted to go. I heard Legolas let out a whoop, and I roared long and loud.   
It was a surprise to even me when a large jet of flame came out of my mouth. I glided down and landed back where I had started, and laid down on the ground a bit unsteadily. I felt Legolas climb off and I chuckled internally at his wind-blown hair.  
I looked over at Gimli and Aragorn. You can come over here. I won't bite. I winced at my terrible choice of words.  
“Well lassie, th' last time I saw a dragon was when Smaug took our 'ome. So forgive me for not bein' too welcomin'.” Even as he said this, he walked over to where I was, Aragorn trailing behind.   
I closed my large eyes, still brown, and took deep breaths, willing my body to shrink again and become human, or whatever I was. Suddenly, I felt myself shrink back to my petite, normal body. I opened my eyes and noticed a difference. I was still in my friends' minds, so I looked at myself through their eyes.   
While my body was still fundamentally the same, and all my clothes and jewelry and survived the change somehow, my hair had turned a bright, unnatural red, and was shorn into layers that ended just below my jawline. I could see little flames flickering in my pupils, inside my eyes that were thankfully still the same. I looked back to my face and noticed my face was more angular, as well as my eyes, and my ears were pointed. I looked like an Elf.  
“Arwen..?” I heard Aragorn mutter.  
“Aye, she does look a good bit like Lady Arwen.” Gimli agreed.  
I walked over to Legolas and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his chest. I separated my mind from all three of theirs, and I felt tears start to leak out of my eyes. “Do you still love me?”  
I heard Aragorn and Gimli leave, to give us room to talk.  
“What the hell are you talking about Nikki?” He sounded completely puzzled.  
“I look different. I'm not the same.”  
“It doesn't matter what you look like, you are still the same girl I fell in love with.” He pulled me closer to him and buried his face in my now-short hair.  
“I'm a freak.”   
“I don't care what you are, I will always love you.” He pulled back enough to grab my chin in his hand gently and tilt my head up to look me in the eye. “Always.”  
I smiled and kissed him, jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist. He pulled away from the kiss and asked, “Are you sure you're feeling okay?”  
I grinned and smacked his shoulder. “Shut up and kiss me.”  
He complied.

 

The next day we were packing up our things, stamping out the fire, filling our waterskins. We had a long journey ahead of us if we wanted to make up for lost time.   
All of a sudden, I felt a tickle in my nose. As I sneezed, a jet of fire shot out of my mouth. “Fuck!”  
Aragorn looked over at me, puzzled, as he hadn't been looking at me. “What?”  
“Apparently I can breath fire in this body as well as when I'm a dragon.” To demonstrate, I somehow figured out how to spew out a bit near his feet.   
I felt Legolas come up behind me and wrap his arms around my waist. “You'll learn to control it, don't worry, little one.”  
I smiled. “Said the Elf to the dragon.”  
He spun me around so I would face him. “You look like a girl to me.” I grinned devilishly and kissed him.  
“Alright, break it up you two.” I heard Gimli grumble as he walked past with his pack.  
I smiled and went back to collecting our things, so as to not leave a trail.   
As we began to run again, we came upon a large group of riders. As Aragorn called out to them, I put my hood up. I knew the hearts of men could grow dark, and I didn't want to take any chances.  
As the riders surrounded us, I pulled out my bow. I was a deadeye and I half-drew the arrow back. Suddenly we were surrounded by spears.  
“What are two Men, an Elf, and a Dwarf doing in these parts?” Their leader thought I was a man, and that was fine by me.  
As Aragorn spoke with him, my heart sank with every word the strange men spoke.  
“My men saw no such people when we slew the Orcs, but you are welcome to check.” His even tone was infuriating. I saw red.  
Moving faster than the eye could see, I pulled the leader off his horse and tackled him to the ground, a dagger at his throat. “What do you mean you didn't see them? How could they have escaped your notice? They look nothing like Uruk-hai!”  
“Nikki, calm down! It was a mistake!” I heard the alarm in Legolas' voice, as I had about 500 arrows trained on my back.  
“Nikki...? You're a woman?!”  
“Their mistake killed Merry and Pippin!” I sat back, sheathing the dagger. I stood up and turned away, clutching my hands into fists, knowing I had let my temper get the better of me.   
“Listen little girl, you should be careful. I'll let you off easy this time, but you could get hurt, trying to survive in a man's world.” The leader was pulling himself off the ground, dusting himself off.   
That did it. I flipped my head back, letting my hood fall back. He gasped at the fire in my eyes and the color of my hair. I opened my mouth and roared, letting loose a jet of flame just above the head of the misogynistic fool.  
He screamed, ducking away from the flames.   
“Better be more careful about who you're threatening next time, little boy. I'll let you off easy this time but you should be more cautious. You could get hurt.” I crossed my arms, satisfied that I had scared the living hell out of him.   
Legolas stepped forward. “I think she proved her point. Now we wish to go save our friends from your idiocy. So move.”  
The man was just standing there in shock, still staring at me as if I was a figment of his imagination. Then he seemed to come back to himself. “Here, take these two horses. May they lead you to a better fate than that of their previous masters.” A man came from somewhere in the crowd and was leading a pair of fine horses, one pure white, the other a piebald. The horses instantly warmed up to me, though they shied away from the other three with me. I swung up onto the white horse and Legolas climbed on behind me. I could tell he was embarrassed to be behind his wife on a horse, but I didn't care. I had to get to the Hobbits.  
“Hyah!” I spurred the horse into a full gallop, riding towards the smoke just over a grassy rise. When we reached the site of the battle, I leapt off the horse. I looked around in shock at the sheer number of corpses. “Merry! Pippin!” I screamed as loud as I could, and ran around like mad, searching for anywhere the poor little things could've hidden.   
I heard the others talking, when I heard Aragorn say, “Wait, I see tracks!” As we followed him through the woods, chasing down the Hobbits, I started noticing the tracks, understanding the signs that people had been through here. Suddenly, a bright white light was ahead of us. It was a wizard. Saruman. I took a deep breath and sprayed a jet of fire at him, the flame so hot with my anger they were blue. He deflected them easily. As I began to induce the change, the wizard said, “Is that how you greet an old friend, Skilnør?”   
I abruptly ended the change and became fully myself again, shocked. Suddenly the light receded and Gandalf was standing there, fully alive. I flung myself at him, and wrapped my arms around his tall frame. “You're alive!” I stepped back and grinned, hands on my hips.  
He chuckled. “That I am. But there are more important things to tend to. War has come to Rohan. We must ride.” With that we go to the edge of the forest. On the way, I go through the saddlebags that had been on the horses we received from the Rohirrim. I found two blades with wrist sheathes that could be flipped out at a moment's notice. I proceeded to put them on and practice using them, as Legolas had taken the reigns.  
One we reached the edge, Gandalf called Shadowfax, king of all horses. We set off to Rohan, and pray we're not to late. 

 

“I'm sorry but you're going to have to disarm if you want to see the king. And tell the small one to remove 'is hood.” We were greeted with this friendliness when we reached Rohan.   
“The small one says the hood stays on. We will lay down our weapons, though, if you insist.” I spoke for the group, knowing they would all agree. I unbuckled my sword and threw it at the poor little kid who was standing there, waiting for them. I removed my bow and quiver, the knives I had hidden in my boots, the hachet at my side, and the two more knives at my thighs. I kept the ones at my wrist, and they thankfully didn't check for any more weapons.  
“You wouldn't deny an old man his walking stick?” I hide my smile in the shadows of my hood as the captain lets us pass.   
Grima Wormtongue. Pond scum if I've ever seen any. He spoke for the withered old king, who looked as if he could barely walk. I waited for the signal and when Gandalf raised his staff to break the spell, I leapt on the nearest person and whipped out my knives, not killing them but making them hostages so that none would dare attack us. I looked down at my captive and saw that is was Eowyn, sister to Eomer, who had given us horses. I had her pinned on her back, one blade at her throat, the other held up as a warning. I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Don't worry, we're here to help. Don't change your facial expression, just keep looking scared. I promise I won't hurt you.” I slowly leaned back up, and was pleased that the expression on her face had remained as it was before; defiant but alarmed, scared for her uncle.   
I felt for Gandalf's mind, as he was having trouble breaking the spell. Need more power?  
Yes, thank you, young one. I channel as much energy as I can gather from the wildlife outside into Gandalf, and suddenly, with a metal BANG, the spell is broken. I let Eowyn up as Theoden becomes once again youthful and strong.   
As Wormtongue is shoved past me, I snort out a tiny jet of fire from my nose, just enough so that he can see, but no one else can. He shrieks like a bitch and continues to run as Theoden chases him down.  
Eowyn turns to me and smiles. “May I see the face of the man who so bravely held me down to save my uncle?” I sense teasing in her voice.  
“Well I hope you're not too disappointed.” I pulled my hood back, ignoring the collective gasp at my appearance, smiling at Eowyn.   
She looks shocked for a moment, then bursts into laughter. I laugh along with her, amused at the original shocked look on her face. I'm still laughing when the captain of the guard comes up and backhands me violently.  
I stumble back, shocked at the sudden turn of events. I collect myself and stare him down. “What the fuck, man?” I simply cannot comprehend what led to him finding it necessary to slap me.   
“You are under arrest for attacking the royal heir. It is the law.” He moves closer, as if to grab me.  
I step back, blades out, as Theoden and my friends come back inside. “You'd better have a good explanation for this, Theoden.” I realize I shouldn't address the king by his first name, but I'm too pissed at this guard to care.  
“Hàma, what is the meaning of this?” The king sounds furious.  
“Your Majesty, I was simply informing this 'guest' that she is under arrest for attacking the heir. You cannot make exceptions in such troubled times. The people must know that laws are still laws, even when the world turns to hell.”  
“You do not have to deal with this, Nikki.” Legolas looks desperately at Theoden.  
“As much as it pains me, he is correct.”  
“Uncle! You cannot punish her! She was trying to save you!” Eowyn walks to Theoden, pulling at his arm.  
I sigh. “I will not tolerate arrest, but I will take the punishment. I understand that laws are laws, no matter what. What is the punishment?” I hate to fold to this asshat, but we cannot afford to be lenient now.   
Hàma answers gleefully for the king. “You are to be whipped at the stake 50 times.”  
I refuse to let my fear show. “Alright.”  
Legolas jumps at me and wraps his arms around me, as if to hide me from the world. “No! I won't let you!”  
I return the hug briefly, then push him back. “It's my choice. If it is a law, I must abide by it.” I smile at his desolate face and lower my voice so only he can hear. “I'll be fine. I'm no stranger to pain.”  
I turn to Theoden. “Gather your people. Where's the fun without a show?”

 

An hour later, Theoden had informed his people that they were to travel to Helm's Deep, but to first gather at the courtyard. Along with a borrowed pair of loose-fitting leggings, I was wearing a strange shirt that went around my neck and waist, covering my chest but leaving my back exposed. I felt self-conscious of my scar, but that stopped concerning me quickly as I realized I was about to be publicly whipped. I was sitting on the ground near the stake my hands would soon be tied to, leaning against Legolas.  
“You can still back out, you know. You're powerful enough.” This was about the 30th time he's told me and it was starting to make me even more nervous.   
“Hey, baby, do me a favor?” I look up into his beautiful eyes.   
“Yea?”  
“Stop reminding me.” I snuggled closer to him, not wanting him to see the terror in my eyes. If he saw how truly scared I was, there's a good chance he might pick me up and try and take me away, protect me from the world.   
“Miss Whelk? It's time.” I look up into the face of the young man who had taken our weapons initially.   
I suddenly felt the urge to throw up. I couldn't do it. Middle Earth would just have to win their wars without me. Then I look out at the crowd.   
I stand up and push past the young man, walking out to the stake on my own, not wanting to show any weakness. I stand in front of the king and hold my arms out, looking him calmly in the eyes as he ceremonially wraps a rope around my wrists. Then Hàma comes and actually ties them, leading me roughly to the post where he then wraps the rope around a metal ring embedded in the post. The pole was between the crowd and I, and I rested my forehead against the solid wood, ashamed to find my heart racing like a rabbit.   
As Theoden stood up and held his hands in the air, the gasps and murmurs that had started up as soon as I'd walked out died out. The power of a monarch over their people could be amazing. He cleared his throat. “Today, we are here to punish a law broken. We cannot afford to let such actions go unpunished. Hàma, please read the charges.”   
The king stepped back, and the captain of the guard stepped forward with a scroll. “Miss Nikkolette Alastrine Whelk Greenleaf, you are charged with the crime of committing an act of violence against the heir to the throne of Rohan. Do you deny this?”  
“I wouldn't call it violent, exactly. I tackled her.”  
“Do not speak out! You are to accept the charges or deny them. Which is it, Miss Whelk?” His face was red with rage at being embarrassed in front of the kingdom.   
“I accept your wonderfully bullshit charges, sir asshole sir!” The crowd seemed shocked.  
His face got even redder and he called forward a man I assumed administered all punishments in the kingdom of Rohan. I looked him in the eyes, and found sympathy.   
“50 lashes to the back! After the first 25, she will be given water and a three-minute reprise, as deemed by the crown!” I heard Theoden boom, and all hope that I might get out of this was dashed. “Begin.”  
“One.” I heard the man say, just before a white-hot pain exploded across my back. I stifled a moan, and pressed my forehead harder into the post.   
“Two. Three. Four.” Every lash of the whip was more excruciating than the last. The only thing that kept me from crying out was knowing that any pain I showed, Legolas would feel tenfold. As these thoughts were going through my head, I realized that I had been unconscious for about 15 whips.  
“Twenty-three.” Crack! “Twenty-four.” Crack! “Twenty-five.” Crack!  
Theoden stepped up. “Halt! She will be given water and three minutes respite! Untie her!” I felt more than saw my hands being released as the pain washed through my body, blurring my vision. I slumped sideways and felt Legolas catch me. I hissed when his hand brushed my back.  
“Here, love, drink this water. You'll need it.” Legolas pushed my bangs out of my face and held a waterskin to my lips. I drank greedily, stopping only to gasp for air when the pouch was emptied. “Are you sure you're okay? You can just run away, they won't catch you.”  
I smile at him and push my hair away form my face. “I'm okay darling. I love you.” I pull his face to mine and kiss him, not caring that the entire kingdom of Rohan is watching.   
He kisses me back, then pulls away and hands me another waterskin. “Drink.”  
I take the water and roll my eyes at him, despite the fact I gulp down the water in a few seconds. I reach for my wedding ring and remember I took it off for the whipping. He smiles at me and pats his pocket where all my jewlery is located. The only thing I kept was my necklace from my old world. When I tried to remove it, I noticed that there wasn't a clasp. That necklace had been around my neck since before I could remember, and I knew it had some connection to my dragon power.  
Theoden walked over to where I was leaning gingerly against the post. He knelt down and put his hand on my shoulder. “I'm so sorry my dear. Are you alright?”  
“I'm good, I'm good. I'll be okay.” I tried to shoot him a reassuring smile, but my mask faltered and he saw my terror. I quickly replaced the mask. “How much longer before I have to take the rest?”   
He sighed, and I knew he saw not me before him, but Eowyn. “Now.”  
Hàma came forward and viciously retied me to the post. “Due to an unfortunate accident, the man that administered the whippings earlier has been injured. I shall take up the whip to finish.”   
I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead into the wood. So that's how he'd get his revenge. I prayed to God for strength when I felt the first lash hit my back, the strike ten times as powerful as the first 25.   
I kept silent until number 47, when he hit even harder than before. I let out an inhuman roar, tears springing to my eyes. Hàma jumped back, startled, and I heard the crowd let loose a collective gasp. I looked into the shocked faces of the king and Eowyn, apology I my eyes. Suddenly, the last three whips came in quick succession, and this time I screamed, this time fire spewing out of my throat, straight up into the air.   
Instinct took over. I pulled at the ropes and they ripped easily, no match for my strength. I stood up, stumbling, and turned to Hàma. Shrieking, I tried to instigate the change, to obey the primal urge to kill running through my head, but as soon as my wings tried to emerge, I screamed in pain. I fell down onto the stone and vomited the contents of my stomach, not caring who saw.   
I once again tried to change, but I couldn't complete it. My wings were sticking out of my back, thankfully whole and pain-free, and I had a spiked tail attatched to my lower back. Legolas ran to me and grabbed my hands. “Nikki, calm down, change back so we can help you.”  
The rage went away. I looked up at him and felt the wings and tail retracting. I only had a moment of clarity however, before the pain rushed back to me. I collapsed into Legolas' arms and let the blackness swallow me. 

 

“I think she's waking up! Gandalf, come here, I think she's waking up!” I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was completely nude, laying on my stomach, a sheet resting across my waist.  
I look over and see that I'm in the back of a covered wagon, and Legolas is sitting next to me in a simple wooden chair. I ignore my nudity, as the only other person in the wagon is Gandalf, and he's seen me nude when we'd bathe in rivers and streams on the quest. “Legolas, my love?”  
“Yes darling?”  
I propped myself up on my elbows and looked around. “Why am I naked?” He burst into laughter. “I don't find this very funny, really, sweetheart.”  
He stopped laughing, but the smile didn't go away. “We removed your shirt to treat your back, and your pants and undergarments were covered in blood. Your clothes and your backpack are under the bed.”  
I began to get up, but Gandalf stopped me. “Let me check your back first. I healed them with magic, so they shouldn't scar.”  
I felt behind my back, but the scar from my mother was still there.  
“I'm sorry, child, I can't do anything for scars already there.”  
I smile at him sadly. “That's alright. It's a part of me now. I wouldn't be who I am now without it.”  
I stood up and there was no pain. I got underneath the bed and dressed swiftly. I reequipped my weapons, but left my armor and backpack in the wagon. Legolas did the same, and followed after me as I sprinted up to where Eowyn was talking with Gimli.   
“Is the dwarf bragging again? I thought I taught him a lesson last time!” I smiled at the two of them.   
“Nikki! You're okay!” Eowyn wrapped me in a hug. I stumbled back, unsure of how to respond. I'd never really hugged a woman before.  
“Thanks to Gandalf.” I said, and then turned to Legolas. “And my wonderful husband for being at my side.”  
“There's nowhere I'd rather be.” I smiled and stared into his eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him softly on the lips.  
“Alright, you two, break it up, break it up. Nobody wants to see that.” Aragorn came walking up to us, chuckling.   
I pulled away, albeit reluctantly, and walked over to Eowyn, apology in my eyes. “Soo...”  
“You're a demon.” She smiled at me, and I was relieved that she wasn't afraid of me.   
“I was going to say dragon, but I don't really know what I am. When all this is over, I'm hunting down my mother and asking her.” I didn't know if I would survive long enough to find her, but if I did, I would show no mercy.   
Theoden rode up beside us. “Miss Whelk, why didn't you tell us about your magic? I could've found a clause about wizards to save you from the whip!”  
I looked up at him. “I don't understand them myself. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. I don't know my own powers.” I smiled. “But I can do this.” I closed my eyes and searched for the mind of Gimli's horse, telling it to scare and make him fall off. Eowyn laughed and ran to his aid.

 

“We're being attacked!” I heard the call and whipped out my wrist blades, whirling in a circle, scanning for the threat. Seeing none immediately, I put them away and pulled out my sword, sprinting towards the front of the procession, feet barely touching the ground. I reached Legolas in under a second.   
“Nikki, you need your armor!” Legolas looked me up and down, and I realized at the same time that I had all my protective gear in the wagon.   
“I'll be fine.” I said, and I put my sword into it's sheath. I let out an earth-shattering roar as my body grew, and my clothes and weapons went into my ruby necklace. As I landed on all four feet, my mind spread out. I felt the surprise of the humans behind me, the bloodlust of the Uruk-hai just concealed by a low hill. I leapt into the sky, feeling my razor-sharp claws and my dagger-like teeth.   
I swept over the Uruk-hai too fast for their archers to shoot and let out a trail of fire, burning nearly half of the monsters and their Wargs alive. There were still so many. They burst out of hiding and attacked the men on the ground. I continued to torch the back of the company, but they were soon too mixed up with the humans for me to attack the Uruk-hai without risking hurting the humans. I landed at the edge and turned back to myself, grabbing my sword and charging into battle.   
I slashed sprinted towards the nearest mounted orc, slashing my sword through both the rider and the steed, felling them both in a single hit. I ran up to another one on foot and opened my mouth wide, spewing fire out of my jaw, roasting him instantly. I ran around, killing and killing and killing, my bloodlust seeming insatiable. Suddenly, there were no more opponents. I stopped, looking around, sword at my side. I walked over to the cliff where Legolas was standing.  
“What's wrong?” I grabbed his hand, and he held onto mine like a lifeline. I looked at his hand. “Aragorn's necklace...” I followed his trail of vision. “No...”  
“He's gone.” I heard the pain in his voice. “The hope of men is gone.”  
“Come on, let's go.” I pulled at his hand. We needed to move. “We can mourn later, I promise.”  
Theoden came up behind us. “Leave the dead. They'll understand.”  
Suddenly I felt a living orc behind us. I spun around and grabbed his collar. “Give me one good reason not to make you hurt so bad death is a blessing. Where is Estel?”  
The thing made a choking sound. “Over the cliff. Dead, dead, dead!” I was done. I screamed, burning him alive.   
I kept on spewing fire, burning his body until it was nothing more than a charred skeleton. “Nikki, stop, he's dead!” Legolas pulled on my shoulder, jarring me back to reality. I stopped, and he pulled me to his chest. “We can mourn later.”   
I held him tight, then pulled away. “Let's go back to the group.”

 

“Where is Aragorn?” I heard Eowyn say, voice pleading. We had reached Helm's deep, our numbers significantly decreased. I walked over to her and took her hands. The look in my eyes said it all. “No, no.”   
“I'm sorry honey, I'm so sorry, I know it hurts.” I held the woman to me, her head awkwardly on my shoulder, as she was taller than me. I rubbed my hand on her back as I shushed her. “You've gotta be strong. All these people look up to you. Be strong. You are a shield-maiden of Rohan, you can be strong.”   
She pulled away, her face like stone. “You're right. We can mourn later.” I smiled slightly.   
“Now where can we be of the most help?” I put my hands on my hips and looked around. I saw the people filing in, pulling their carts by hand. I walked over to a frail old man struggling to pull his family in a cart. I laid my hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. “Get on the cart, I can pull you.”  
He smiled up at me. “Little sister, you don't look like you could pull a fly. Thank you for the offer.”  
“Trust me, and get in. At least let me pull them.” I wasn't going to let him get away with not accepting my help.  
“All right, if you insist.” He passed me the handles and I gripped them easily. I felt his weight enter the cart and I strode forward, moving swiftly towards the gate in the wall. I pulled them into a spot with plenty of room and set the cart down easily. The man and his family climbed down. “Thank you, thank you.” He said, shaking my hand.  
I smiled. “Anything to help.” I walked away, and made more trips in, pulling carts, carrying bags, even carrying children and older people if they needed it.   
After a few hours, I hadn't even broken a sweat. Eowyn had been bringing food and medicine to people as they got settled. Finally everyone was in and had everything they needed. We walked out to the wall, looking down.   
I climbed up onto the edge of the wall and sat with my legs dangling, thinking about the day's events. A silent tear crept down my cheek, when suddenly I felt an excitement a ways behind us. I leapt up and stood in front of Eowyn. “He's alive. Get on my back and keep your face down.”   
She complied without saying a word and I sprinted to the center of the crowd. I dropped her and we stood in front of Aragorn, dirty and injured, but very much alive.  
“You son of a bitch!” I stepped up in front of him, grinning from ear to ear. “I thought you were dead!”  
He smiled. “Takes more than a little fall to kill me, little one. Have some faith.” I stood, smiling as he walked past me, going towards the makeshift throne room.  
I turned to Eowyn, her face unreadable. “What's wrong?”  
“Unrequited love. Have you ever felt it, Nikki?” Her face turned sad, and we began to walk towards the armory.   
I thought back to before I had changed, before my wedding, before Boromir attacked me. When I hadn't known of Legolas' love for me, and it killed me inside. “I've been on both ends, and neither are easy.”  
She sighed. “Enough chitter chatter. We have work to do.”

 

I walked around, pulling husbands from their wives, fathers from their children, sons from their mothers. I was sickened at the young faces I was sending off to die, but I understood. Better for them to die in battle than to die underground in this tomb. I prayed I would be able to save them, but we were so outnumbered. After I had to subdue a woman trying to prevent me from taking her teenage son, I walked deeper into the fortress and sat in a corner, head in my hands. I sat there for a few minutes, trying to breathe, but I was suffocated.   
I heard footsteps, and I looked up to see Gimli wearing a chain-mail shirt that was like a dress on him. “Ya all right, lass?”  
I giggled at the shirt, and when he turned red, I burst into laughter, and he joined me. “I suppose. I just don't think this is right. I wish there was something I could do.”  
“There is.” I looked up at him – for once – and I must've looked skeptical. “You can kill every single one of those freaks you can get to and there's that many less to get through to the lytlings.”


End file.
